ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has charged the chairman and members of the Peretoru Constitution Review Committee to close ranks and set the agenda for the overall well being of the community.
The governor, who gave the charge during the inauguration of the committee in Government House, Yenagoa, noted that the quick execution of the assignment would help to restore lasting peace in Peretoru community in Ekeremor Local Government.
Governor Diri, represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, emphasised the need for the committee to be guided by the 2014 and 2020 constitutions of the community as part of their terms of reference.
He urged them to realise that leadership requires sacrifice which must be paid to achieve the desired objectives for peace and progress in any society.
Underscoring the inevitability of conflict in society, he, however, advised the people of the state not to allow disagreements to escalate to the point of destroying lives and property.
He appealed to the people of Peretoru to make all necessary sacrifices and used the lessons learnt from the crisis to reorganize their community for sustainable peace, stability and development.
Diri warned the committee against absenteeism, saying that the government had already provided a venue in Yenagoa for them to carry out their assignment expeditiously within the stipulated timeframe of two weeks.
He said: “The review of the constitution is the beginning of setting the agenda for every other thing that is going to take place. So, if we don’t get it right, we may likely not get every other thing right.
“I therefore charge you to try as much as possible to carry out this exercise within the stipulated time frame. It is not an exercise to contend with very serious issues. I will suggest that we look at the 2014 constitution, side by side the proposed 2020 constitution of Peretoru.
“Leadership requires sacrifice. The sacrifice a leader renders, will determine how much followers he will drag to himself. So, we are expected to make more sacrifice. It is only when we have settled these issues that we can have lasting peace in Peretoru.
“Though there is no place where you have exclusive or permanent peace without any conflicts, what we don’t want is dysfunctional conflict. What we have now in Peretoru community is functional conflict.
“Because I believe it has brought about an opportunity for reorganisation, reformation and realignment in Peretoru. So, everybody should embrace this exercise and see it as a process of trying to reorganize the community for good.”
The Peretoru Constitution Review Committee has Tanus Tariebi as Chairman, while Hon. John Ebikake is to serve as its Secretary.